Night Shade
by DarkRiverTempest
Summary: Set during OotP. Neville has gone missing and Professor Sprout sends Luna to find him.


In response to a drabble challenge on LiveJournal. Edenskye wanted Neville and Luna, dirty or clean. *giggles* I love Luna. You know the drill - Rowling owns everything... lucky wench.

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"Neville? Are you about?"

Waiting in the darkened greenhouse for an answer, Luna Lovegood began to casually observe her surroundings, careful not to disturb the recently potted Mandrakes.

"It _is _possible the Baboulas stole him away, though they usually hide under beds instead of in empty greenhouses," she mused out loud. "But I'm sure they find the smell in here much more agreeable."

"Help!"

Searching the shadowy room for the source of the cry, she glimpsed a flash of white as it dangled in midair. "Neville?"

"Luna! I'm caught by a Nepenthes plant!"

Moving closer, even she had to gape at the sight before her. Hanging upside down, Neville's face was red as he kept batting away at the tendrils of the carnivorous pitcher plant, trying desperately to avoid sliding down its hungry, vicious maw.

"Accio Neville," Luna said in a strong voice, flicking her wand at the gruesome foliage.

But the plant had other ideas. As Luna's magic pulled Neville one way, the sword-like leaves on the vine wrapped tightly around his calf, tugging in the opposite direction. Biting her lip in concentration, she increased her power, drawing him closer to her. The plant retaliated, and as a consequence, the young wizard was about to be split in half from the tug-o-war on his legs.

Seeing that her classmate was about to become grundylark muck, she kept her wand focused on him while reaching into her knapsack and retrieving the last bit of raw beef she'd been feeding the Threstals. Closing one eye, she aimed for the razor-sharp teeth and threw the meat into the cavernous opening, causing the plant to drop Neville in favor of what was already slipping down its gullet.

Before it could set its sights on Neville again, Luna pulled him to the farthest corner in the glass house, propping him up to look him over. "You have a large gash on your cheek." Reaching up, she caressed his face and moved his droopy bangs away from his eyes. "Is there any mature Mugwort handy?"

"O-over by the tool shed," he stuttered, flustered from his near-death experience and her soft touch.

After searching for a moment or two, she found what she was looking for, plucked a few leaves and snagged a mortar and pestle on her way to sit next to Neville. Dropping the long, dark-green leaves in the stone bowl, she began grinding them into a pulp.

"You really shouldn't be out this late," she gently scolded. "Professor Sprout was worried you'd finally been eaten by… what did she call it? Oh, yes… that 'bloody nuisance of a pig trough'. Personally, I think she wants to get rid of the Nepenthes and secretly wishes Malfoy would take a poke at it one day so it would swallow him whole, and then most of our problems would be solved."

"Seriously?" he asked, trying to slow his panicky breaths.

She nodded. "Plus, there's always the Night Shades to contend with if you're out this late and don't have a Glo Worm with you." Looking at the pulp, she promptly spat in the bowl and continued mixing.

Neville's eyes widened when he saw this and started scooting away. "I-I'm fine, really, see?" He reached up and touched the bruise gracing his cheekbone, wincing despite himself.

"Immobulous," she murmured and he was frozen on the spot, unable to move.

Turning his head to the side, she scooped the paste out of the mortar and spread it just under his left eye, continuing her story about the Night Shades. "They're really frightening creatures, but they seem to be quite terrified of my Glo Worm. It was very fortuitous that I happened to find one, they're very hard to procure."

His whimper sounded like a question to her, so she finished applying the poultice and dug around in her knapsack once more. Finally, she pulled out what looked like a child's stuffed toy, squeezing the stomach area and creating a soft glow on its sleepy face.

"Isn't he sweet?" she asked with a look that highly resembled the Glo Worm's serene and placid face. "I found him in a Muggle shop years ago." She squeezed its belly again. "The Night Shades don't like his happy light, so it'll keep them far from us… at least while we're here in the greenhouse."

Glancing at the dark-haired boy, she released the spell he was under, watching as he touched his now-healed cheek. "Thank you," he whispered.

Smiling, she stood and offered him her hand. "You're welcome, Neville Longbottom."

Together, they walked hand in hand out of the humid air and into the crisp evening, heading towards the castle.

"Do you think you could get me a Glo Worm?" he asked as they disappeared into the night.

"They don't seem to make them anymore." She sighed, handing her stuffed worm to him. "But I'll let you borrow him the next time you venture out."


End file.
